Pay no attention to the people behind the curtain

Thursday, August 07, 2008

Heckles

Officials of the U.S. Secret Service say there is nothing they could have done to avoid an incident yesterday in which Barack Obama was heckled by a strangely behaving man in the press section during an appearance at an Ohio college.

The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee was beginning a town-hall style meeting at Baldwin-Wallace College when John Quinn, a freelance photographer on assignment for Bloomberg News, interrupted him by calling on him to say the Pledge of Allegiance. Senator Obama went along and led the crowd through the pledge.

Mr. Quinn subsequently refused to give his name to other journalists in the press pen. A video of the incident shows Mr. Quinn shoving his hand into camera lenses, shouting at other reporters, and responding to requests for his name and press affiliation by saying, “I was speaking as John Q. Public.”

I just don't know what we should do about the liberal media. I mean, it just seems like they can't be stopped! Although it does sound like Obama handled the incident pretty well:

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama came to Baldwin-Wallace College in Berea Tuesday afternoon to talk about his energy policies, as he had earlier in the day in Youngstown.

But before he could delve into the topic, a man in the press photo gallery interrupted him, shouting complaints that the Illinois senator had not started the program with the Pledge of Allegiance. Many in the packed gymnasium murmured and some booed the disruption, but Obama took the heckler in stride and asked him to lead the pledge.

The crowd rose to its feet, Obama placed his hand over his heart and everyone recited the pledge. Obama thanked the man, who was not removed by campaign staff, and returned to his speech.

I haven't been to any McCain town halls or speeches yet this season--does anyone know if McCain makes a point of starting always with the Pledge of Allegiance, or is it just Obama that has to live up to that standard?